VSU Welcomes The Stardust Duo to the Whitehead Auditorium Stage

VALDOSTA — Founded in 2008 by pianist Jonathan Roberts and violinist Amanda Smith Roberts, The Stardust Duo will be in concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13, in Valdosta State University’s Whitehead Auditorium. Admission is free of charge and open to the public.

The pair met in 2006 while pursuing master’s degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music and married in the summer of 2009. They released their first CD, titled “The Stardust Duo: Debussy, Poulenc, and Franck Sonatas for Violin and Piano,” around the same time. He is a native of Providence, R.I.; she hails from Brandon, Miss.

Their group, The Stardust Duo, is named after the jazz tune “Stardust,” which was made famous by Stephane Grapelli, a French jazz violinist.

“As the name implies,” according to a biography at www.thestardustduo.com, “the pair not only perform standard classical repertoire, but they also explore works of alternative styles in an effort to engage a broader audience.”

Sunday’s program includes music by Johannes Brahms, William Grant Still, Mark O’Connor, Michael Annicchiarico, and Astor Piazzolla.

Whitehead Auditorium is located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Oak Street and Brookwood Drive.

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